Homefront

William Shakespeare wrote about war and its impact on soldiers hundreds of years before the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. For a former Army officer the words clicked in a way no other treatment has in all these years. Homefront host Craig McKee sits down with Stephan Wolfert to talk about the power of Shakespeare's words in helping veterans with post-traumatic stress.

The Medical Marijuana industry is booming and veterans are seeing it as a way out from dozens of prescriptions. Homefront host Craig McKee sits down with two veterans to discuss their journey and that of a physician who walked away from traditional medicine to focus on recommending medical marijuana.

Matt Louis was as lost as thousands of other service members who left the military and put on a suit and tie. Homefront host Craig McKee sits down to discuss Matt's journey and what empowered him to create a manual to help veterans transition and be successful.

Homefront host Craig McKee goes on a personal journey of discovery to reveal more about his great uncle's role as a navigator in World War II. Join him as he listens to a 102-year-old former B-17 navigator who discusses the trials and tribulations as well as his time as a prisoner of war.

John Osborne would stay up late at night after coming home from the Vietnam war to avoid the nightmares. Turning to art he was able to focus on something other than the nightmares. He explains to Homefront host Craig McKee why many of the military pieces go unfinished.

Army veteran Earl Harris has been on and off the streets for twenty years. Homefront host Craig McKee spoke to him about life on the streets and living illegally inside a self-storage unit. Welcome House of Northern Kentucky is on a continued mission to help all homeless individuals and with their new medical outreach RV are hoping to change the tide in Northern Kentucky.

A ban on transgender service members doesn't mean a ban on transgender veterans. The Cincinnati VA Medical Center created a support group specifically for trans veterans. As the year mark of its launch approaches Homefront host Craig McKee sat down with members of a task force created to bolster support for LGBTQ vets.

The Purple Heart is awarded to those who are wounded or killed in combat. Homefront host Craig McKee talks with three veterans about their journey, their service and their sacrifice.

He couldn't march but he had mechanical skills that would end up guiding his time in the Army. Homefront host Craig McKee sits down with 100-year-old Earl Wills to talk about his service, a wrench that changed his military path and the woman who would win over his heart and start a 72-year marriage.

He escorted Navy Seals to face off with Somali pirates and chased boats filled with drugs in South America. Homefront host Craig McKee sits down with Navy veteran Andrew Watts to talk about his time a Navy helicopter pilot and his new passion for writing military thrillers.

Since taking over as head of the Veteran Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie has made history with the amount of money he wants to spend and the number of people he wants to hire to fix Veteran Affairs facilities and operations. He sat down with Homefront host Craig McKee to discuss the issues and where he sees the future even if there's a change in administration.

Recruiting for jobs tied to cyber-security has the US Army competing head to head with a civilian force. The Army is changing some of its techniques to recruit younger members and that even includes paying soldiers to play video games. Homefront host Craig McKee sits down with the Ohio recruiting battalion commander to talk about what's happening now and what the future looks like moving forward.

Since 2014 one man's vision has been to lift homeless veterans up. Now his sights are on a tiny home community wherein veterans will help lift each other up. Homefront host Craig McKee shares Warrior Homesteads journey and mission to make a difference.

Groundbreaking research is just starting to look at biological markers to indicate post traumatic stress disorder. Homefront host Craig McKee sits down with Kristyn Hartman whose following the first of its kind study and shares the one on one interview with lead researcher Doctor Kathleen Chard.

The Korean War is often referred to as the 'Forgotten War' despite the very vivid memories of those who fought on the Korean Peninsula. Homefront host Craig McKee sat down with a group of area Korean War veterans and one former North Korean who escaped the North to serve alongside U.S. troops.

Earl Corell was one of thousands swept up by the draft and tossed into war. His path after he came home also mirrored what many others experienced until one day when something clicked. Homefront host Craig McKee sits down with Earl to talk about his journey and discovers how Mickey Mouse plays a role in honoring Vietnam era veterans.

One Army veteran's idea is soothing children as relatives deploy. Homefront host Craig McKee sits down with Blake Wayman to discuss the inspiration behind 'Troop on the Stoop' and how his idea is supporting another veteran centered group tied to a soldier kidnapped and killed in the Iraq War.

The thread of military and community service within a Navy veteran's family spawns an idea to help others. Homefront host Craig McKee sits down with Anthony Teague , co-founder of Veteran Threads, about his idea to make sure veterans have the clothing they need to be successful

When service members deploy their family can feel left out of the loop not knowing what their loved ones are going through in a far off foreign land. Homefront host Craig McKee highlights a support group in Clermont County started a decade ago that continues to bring together parents experiencing their first deployment and those who've experienced many more.

A non-profit in Cincinnati focused on transitioning service members have made history by helping form a new law focused on helping veterans transition. Homefront host Craig McKee sat down with members of the non-profit to discuss their efforts, the part of their plan in a new law signed by President Trump and what's next as they plan to launch transition hubs across the country.

While a photo shows one slice of one moment in time, it can also sum up an entire war. Homefront host Craig McKee sat down with his co-anchor Kristyn Hartman to talk about how one photo in a Vietnam War documentary meant the rediscovery of her father's past and a man whose life his father saved. Read more:COLUMN: A photo that keeps sparking memories -- and revealing hidden heroes

Cincinnati native Leslie Edwards didn't have plans to enter the Army Air Corps, but the government did. His journey took him along the path of history as he became part of the Tuskegee Airmen. Homefront host Craig McKee sits down with Edwards to talk about the challenges of dealing with racism within the ranks and a critical moment in his career that he says woke up Washington and started desegregation within the service.

Thousands of sailors served on ships during the Vietnam war and many face similar health effects as those on the ground on the front line. They're called Blue Water Navy Veterans and after decades fighting to get a presumptive declaration tied to the affects of agent orange exposure; they could soon get their wish. Homefront host Craig McKee sits down with two Blue Water Navy Veterans to hear about their service and concerns for their fellow sailors.

The brotherhood in the military is difficult to duplicate. A military fraternity formed in 2013 aims to bring that brotherhood back together while serving the communities they live. Homefront host Craig McKee speaks with the recently designated PSI chapter of Kappa Lambda Chi, Inc., in Cincinnati about their mission and their bond to one another.

Social media challenges come and go, however, a Navy veteran decided the end of the challenge was only the beginning for him. Homefront host Craig McKee discusses the reason Steven Tessler wanted to continue more than nine-hundred days later. Plus, the Indiana organization Tessler has partnered with to continue to raise awareness on veteran suicide.

Marine Bruce Griffin volunteered to go to the Vietnam War. Nine days after he left home, his family was notified he had died in combat. Homefront host Craig McKee speaks with Bruce's younger sister who has given graduating seniors more than fifty-thousand dollars in scholarships in her brother's name and erected a monument at their high school to remember Bruce and five other veterans killed in Vietnam.

There was one thing Felicia Huesman noticed when she was a military spouse and worked within the Family Readiness Group, there was little to no information to help servicemembers understand the next chapter. She says everyone thought she was 'crazy' when she decided to start a non-profit to help veterans transition. The Barracks Project is ahead of schedule and already expanding.

The opioid crisis is truly an epidemic that doesn't discriminate. Homefront host Craig McKee sat down with two veterans with very different addiction journeys. Neither of them thought of the VA Medical Center as an option to find sobriety. The Cincinnati VAMC is increasing overdose response training for its employees and increasing the availability of overdose reversal drugs to help save lives. There is also an effort to increase awareness of the benefits veterans can receive.

In the realm of rescuing veterans after combat a non-profit group in Ohio has a mission to save both dogs and veterans. Homefront host Craig McKee sits down with Samuel Deeds, a retired Marine, who faced IED blasts in Iraq and continues to deal with the physical and mental impact of war. Sam is the first recipient of a service dog who was on the path to be euthanized at a dog shelter before 'Rescued and Ready' stepped in to help. The organization's founder hopes this is the first of many veterans they will help by 'Walking with Warriors'.

He's a member of Congress, Iraq War veteran and continues to serve in the U.S. Army Reserves. Homefront host Craig McKee sits down with Ohio's 2nd Congressional District Representative Brad Wenstrup. They discuss his time in combat, his transition and how he believes the different branches of service and the Veteran Administration need to change to better serve the veteran.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Traumatic Brain Injury are two issues the Veterans Administration is evaluating and re-evaluating ways to treat when veterans come home. Homefront host Craig McKee discusses the levels of treatment with a local expert on the subject and where complementary medicine plays a role. They also discuss how battlefield practices can diminish the effects of PTSD.

An Army veteran busted on felony drug charges finds a lifeline from the last place she ever thought she'd see one. Veterans can sometimes find themselves on the wrong side of the law. For veterans facing low level felonies in Hamilton County, Ohio landing in front of Judge Ethna Cooper can provide a true lifeline. Homefront host Craig McKee speaks with Judge Cooper about what drives her to help our nations veterans and takes a closer look at the Veterans Justice Outreach Specialists who provide the crucial link for vets to get help.

Veteran suicide continues to be a major issue with an average of 20 to 22 veterans committing suicide every day. The Veterans Affairs Suicide Prevention office's new campaign targets everyone in the community. Meanwhile, a local chapter of '22 Until None' raises the red flag on why the community needs to pay closer attention to the problem. Homefront host Craig McKee also sits down with a Vietnam era veteran whose decision to become a psychologist was born from his time in service during the war. His advice to veterans as well as family and friends of those who served to better help them on their path toward survival.

The Ohio river is an artery that carries goods and services from one point to another. Despite the bridges that span it, some veterans see it as a barrier to get help. Homefront host Craig McKee speaks to Army veteran Rusty Mardis who was tasked to make a difference in Northern Kentucky. It’s a discussion and point of view from Northern Kentucky veterans on the mindset of vets who needed a voice and resources to help them in their home state. What’s in place now and how veterans who don’t want to cross the river don’t have to in order to get the help they need.

What is a veteran -- or better yet who? Homefront host Craig McKee stumbled across this story and was curious to know why women are more likely to not self-identify as a veteran.  In this episode you’ll hear from Army veteran Shirley May who has more than 30 years of service and not only didn’t identify like her male counterparts – she’s now making it easier for women to get the services they need at the Cincinnati Veterans Medical Center. Plus, Marine veteran Alicia Harter who didn’t see herself as a veteran and is now the executive director for an organization striving to serve all veterans with assistance with addiction services.

Across the country and here at home Veterans Administration Medical Centers faced a major problem when it came to appointments. With a lack of resources they were unable to stay on top of the confirmation process to ensure veterans knew when they had an appointment. That resulted in nearly nine-million missed appointments every year. Homefront host Craig McKee talks to Cincinnati VAMC’s Mike Biery about a new way to manage appointments. Why are they seeing the lowest numbers in history of the medical center? What options are there for veterans to stay in the loop and why something as simple as a text is better serving veterans.